THE FLORAL WORLD 



7 



ANTIGONUM LEPTOPHUS AND ITS CULTURE. 



Among the many vines which grow 

 luxuriantly in Southern gardens I 

 know of none more beautiful than the 

 one we know as the PinK Vine — the 

 Antigonum Leptophus. The roots are 

 hardy, and although the vine dies to 

 the ground each winter, it starts into 

 growth so vigorously with the first 

 warm days, that in a very little while 

 it will completely cover porch or trel- 

 lis. The leaves are cordate, large, and 

 so exquisitely veined as to remind one 

 of the begonia family, while they will 

 retain their rich green color when ev- 

 erything else is turning yellow with 

 the heat and drouth of midsummer. 

 It will climb anywhere, and is like the 

 Virginia Creeper, in the gentle insist- 

 ence with which it will force its ten- 

 drils into firm anchorage in the small- 

 est crevice of the most unpromising 

 ■surfaces. It shows at its best, how- 

 ever, when given a support of woven 

 wire, long, strong and broad; it will 

 soon form a thick screen of verdure, 

 daintily throwing into relief the long, 

 swaying racemes of bloom. 



The cut blossoms make an ideal ta- 

 ble decoration, when arranged in a 

 clear glass vase, with sprays of dusty 

 miller, or fronds of maidenhair fern. 



Georgia. Mrs. Henry Wight. 



TRAINING A VINING ROSE. 



Plant the rose in an open space on 

 the lawn, allowing only one stalk to 

 grow. Tie this loosely to a stout 

 stake three or four feet high. When 

 the vine has grown a few inches above 

 the support, pinch off the end, which 

 will cause it to throw out many side 

 vines. Allow only those near the top 

 to remain. As they become six or 

 eight inches long, nip off the points, 

 and the former process will be repeat- 

 ed. Continue training, and after a 

 year or two there will be formed the 



most beautiful object imaginable. A 

 dense, swaying mass of lovely green, 

 reaching almost to the ground, crown- 

 ed, in "rose time," with buds and 

 blossoms in profusion. The training 

 is a most important point, making of 

 a neglected, straggling vine an object 

 of perennial beauty. The idea of nip- 

 ping off the ends is to secure as many 

 vines or branches as possible, and thus 

 produce a symmetrical form and many 

 blossoms. 

 Pa. Mrs. Margaret D. Brown. 



HELIOTROPE FROM SEED. 



Heliotrope seeds germinate slowly, 

 but, given proper care, are sure to 

 grow and make stronger plants with 

 larger clusters of blossoms than cut- 

 ting plants. Fill a cigar box with 

 light, porous soil, scatter the seeds 

 thinly, sift over a light covering of soil, 

 water carefully but thoroughly, and 

 set in a warm place, a pane of glass 

 over to retain the moisture. Keep 

 moist, not soggy, and when the plants 

 appear slightly raise the glass for ven- 

 tilation. Give good light. When plants 

 have two or three pair of leaves, 

 transplant — carefully, or the leaves 

 will drop — to small pots and to larger 

 ones as needed, providing good drain- 

 age. They require abundant root 

 room — never let them get pot-bound or 

 dry out — are rank feeders, enjoying 

 liquid manure, soap, suds and bone 

 meal in reasonable quantities; but 

 don't kill with kindness. When old, 

 prune severely in spring. Their fine 

 .roots will form a dense mat, occasion- 

 ally run a sharp stick through them 

 before watering. Shower daily for red 

 spider — an ounce of prevention is 

 worth a pound of cure. Wood ashes 

 or powdered charcoal given occasion- 

 ally lightens the soil and brightens 

 the color of the flowers. Gas is injuri- 

 ous to them. 



California. Mary Kent Flint. 



